Discovery Health enhances maternity benefits with Parent Sense partnership
Through a new partnership between Discovery Health and Parent Sense, Discovery Health Medical Scheme members — who register for the existing My Pregnancy or My Baby programmes — have access to a fully funded Parent Sense Premium subscription. The creation of occupational therapist, author and baby expert Meg Faure, the app offers personalised, expert-led support through pregnancy and a baby’s first year, enhancing the existing robust clinical cover and digital support available through the Scheme’s Maternity Benefit.
Image credit: Marine Fleury on Dupe Photos
Baby’s individuality
“We are thrilled to partner with Discovery Health to support DHMS parents through one of the most transformative times of life,” says Faure.
“There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to pregnancy or to raising a child. Parent Sense recognises every baby’s individuality — from sensory personality types to sleep patterns — and gives parents the confidence to follow their intuition while accessing expert-led guidance.”
Dr Noluthando Nematswerani, chief clinical officer at Discovery Health, adds, “Science increasingly shows the early years of a child’s life, from conception to age five, to be predictive of long-term health outcomes — from cognitive and emotional development to disease risk.
"Discovery Health’s ongoing focus on preventative health and digital enablement makes our partnership with Parent Sense a natural complement to the existing Maternity Benefit available to Discovery Health Medical Scheme members.”
Between 2020 and 2024, an average of 25,800 DHMS members registered on the Maternity Benefit each year, with a corresponding number of babies born each year, with a roughly even split between first-time parents and parents growing their families.
Since becoming available to DHMS members, uptake of the Parent Sense benefit has been remarkable, with more than 2,100 members registered on the app within the first two months – two-thirds of them expectant parents preparing for birth.
Engagement has been equally strong: live webinars consistently draw hundreds of attendees, and more than a third of members are already accessing expert-led parenting courses.
Parents are also embracing ’aiah’, the app’s 24/7 AI parenting coach, with nearly 900 personalised messages exchanged since the Parent Sense partnership with Discovery Health launched.
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Parenting ecosystem
Providing premium access to Parent Sense opens the door for DHMS members to the Parent Sense ecosystem – a content landscape developed by paediatric specialists, dieticians, and occupational therapists.
This ecosystem includes:
- Access to ‘aiah’ - a secure, highly impactful, on-demand and fully confidential parenting chatbot assistant that provides app users with trusted, clinically vetted content 24/7 to assist them to deal with day-to-day questions, with personalised feedback on everything from the stages of pregnancy to breastfeeding to a schedule for solids, stimulation for baby and much more!
- In pregnancy: Parent Sense offers a personalised digital dashboard with weekly insights tailored to the stage of pregnancy, expert-led content on birth planning, anxiety, and pain management, curated podcasts and articles, as well as coaching groups.
- Following birth: Subscribers receive a daily routine personalised to their baby’s age, as well as intuitive tools for feeding, weaning, sleep tracking, and developmental milestones, including access to sleep and feeding specialists. The app also includes digital health trackers for vaccinations and growth, first-aid guidance for emergencies like choking, and daily play suggestions.
- Subscribers can also access over 50 courses (21 live via the app and the rest on the web) that span critical pregnancy and parenting topics such as caring for a premature baby, birthing, breastfeeding, return-to-work, weaning, feeding, toddler support, first aid, toilet training, play programmes and more. Courses are developed and presented by a range of specialists, from childcare specialist healthcare professionals to legal experts (registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa or equivalent global medical association), for trusted guidance.
- Parent Sense supports multiple caregivers on one baby profile, allowing parents, partners and other carers to coordinate routines and track milestones together.
- Features also adjust for premature babies and multiple births.
- Monthly live webinars with parenting experts.
The Parent Sense team has invested significant time and effort into understanding parents’ greatest challenges.
AI chatbot
The ‘aiah’ ‘AI’ chatbot fields thousands of real-time, medically curated questions, particularly during late-night hours when expectant parents feel most vulnerable.
This unique functionality transforms the app into an always-on, expert-led resource providing scientifically-backed content tailored to each child’s profile.
"Parent Sense is like having a parenting expert in your pocket," says Faure.
"It’s built to offer clinical credibility at every step – whether you’re trying to decode your baby’s sensory traits, track milestones, manage feeding or sleep, or simply hoping to get answers in the middle of the night when baby is sick.
"We see a spike in queries to ‘aiah’ about symptoms of illness in little ones, between midnight and 3am. It’s about being there when parents feel most alone and giving them clarity and calm in real time.”
“The same applies through pregnancy. Expectant moms ask ‘aiah’ about everything from which medicines are safe to take while pregnant, to whether the baby is moving enough, to what Braxton-Hicks contractions are versus labour, dealing with insomnia and back pain and other common pregnancy symptoms and more.
"App users are always guided to see their healthcare professional where necessary.”
“We believe that when parents are supported, families thrive,” says Faure.
“This partnership helps create calmer babies, more confident moms and dads, and a stronger foundation for lifelong health — something we are deeply proud to be part of.”
Nematswerani adds, "For DHMS members, the combination of access to the existing Maternity Programme and now to the premium version of the Parent Sense app brings the best of in-person care and digital intelligence to every stage of pregnancy, and the baby’s first year of life."
“This partnership reinforces Discovery’s core purpose: to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives.
"By combining leading medical scheme benefits with real-time, expert-led digital coaching, Discovery Health and Parent Sense are creating a seamless experience for new parents - one that meets both the clinical and emotional needs of both parents and baby.”